Michel Roux has one word for foul-mouthed TV chefs ... Pah! His Waterside Inn has retained three Michelin stars for 19 years without resorting to such antics. So what's the food like? Don't ask Rachel Cooke - she just got sandwiches.

From the layers of a croissant, the crust of a baguette and the bite of a good mustard, our rigorous testers, Michel Roux and Alan Holmes led by Jay Rayner, leave no stone unturned in their quest for perfection.

We can buy pears pretty well all year round now. But, warns Michel Roux, who has spent 30 years trying to teach Britain to have a bit of respect for food, it takes the autumn months to bring out the true taste of the fruit.